As humans, we often like to think of ourselves as a supremely compassionate, hospitable species. But is this always true? It’s a theory put to the test in the new sci-fi thriller, “District 9.”

When an enormous alien mothership appears over Johannesburg in an alternate version of 1981, it raises many questions: Why here and not a more significant world capital, like Washington or Moscow? Why are there no such ships over other cities? And what is the intent behind its unexplained presence? Is it merely observing us, or is it preparing for something more nefarious, like an invasion?

After a long time with no explanation, a team is sent to the ship to investigate. Once inside, they find it filled with a huge crew of emaciated insect-like beings who belong to their society’s worker class. Their ship, apparently, is damaged, which caused it to drift into earth’s air space. Their wish is simply to go home, but given the ship’s condition and the fact that its largely undereducated inhabitants are unable to repair it, they’re stuck.

South African authorities, in a seemingly sincere act of compassion (remember, this is initially set in the time of apartheid), agree to help the aliens. However, over time, the local residents grow leery of the off-planet refugees, placing ever-greater restrictions on them until the aliens (“prawns,” or “bottom feeders,” as they’re derogatorily called) are corralled into District 9, an urban resettlement camp similar to the infamous shantytown ghettoes symbolic of the country’s official apartheid policy. But, eventually, even this level of segregation doesn’t go far enough for the locals; they want the prawns completely removed from Johannesburg. Thus begins the process of evicting the aliens from District 9 and moving them to a new camp far outside the city, an undertaking headed by a newly promoted mid-level apparatchik, Wikus van de Merwe (Sharlto Copley).

Wikus seems like an affable, sympathetic guy, though he takes his job seriously, thoroughly committed to the by-the-book procedures he’s called upon to execute. When confronted with alien resistance, for example, he doesn’t hesitate to engage in friendly coercion or to willingly turn a blind eye to his support crew’s brutal enforcement tactics. That all changes, however, when an incident occurs that suddenly places Wikus in the shoes of those he’s charged with evicting. In a matter of hours, the once-petty bureaucrat begins to transform, becoming a champion for those who have no one to speak for them. With the aid of a prawn named Christopher, Wikus embarks on an entirely new initiative, one that draws the wrath of the powers that be against the aliens – and him.

The skies over Johannesburg are forever changed when an enormous alien mothership appears without explanation in the sci-fi thriller “District 9.” Photo courtesy of TriStar Pictures.

In many respects, “District 9” is not typical sci-fi fare; it’s more than just a special effects extravaganza with an oversimplified good vs. evil narrative. The film is a morality play on our humanity, particularly how we treat those less fortunate than us (and, accordingly, what we get back for our actions). The reality before the humans’ eyes thus becomes a mirror of the intents they put out (a key concept in understanding the functioning of conscious creation/law of attraction principles). In this sense, is it no surprise, then, that brutality is often met with … brutality?

The movie also examines how we can become more than who we are (or, more importantly, how we can become more than who we believe we are). Through Wikus’s actions, we see how we can rise above our own limitations – if we choose to – to become different people. These actions, in turn, elicit different responses from others, reactions that mirror the changes Wikus implements of his own accord. So, in this way, it should come as no surprise how Wikus’s heroism and compassion evoke comparable reactions from others, ultimately enabling both him – and Christopher – to unreservedly become more human than human.

“District 9” is a knock-out on many fronts. Besides its excellent technical effects, Copley’s superb performance and the aforementioned thoughtful narrative, the picture’s unusual filming style – told largely through simulated news reports and staged after-the-fact interviews intercut with the main story – is innovative and refreshing. To be sure, the film is not for sensitive viewers, due to its graphic violence, but, if viewed in context, such action effectively (and necessarily) lends itself to the character of the picture.

The next time we’re tempted to congratulate ourselves for our humanity, we should pause and think about this film. In these days of myriad social challenges, when we sometimes fall short of doing all we can, even for our own species, how would we respond to those with tremendous needs far different from our own? It’s something to contemplate if we truly wish to label ourselves “human.”

Featured Contributor

Brent Marchant

A lifelong movie fan and longtime student of metaphysics, free-lance writer/editor Brent Marchant is the author of Get the Picture: Conscious Creation Goes to the Movies (Moment Point Press, www.momentpoint.com). His additional writing credits include contributions to beliefnet.com and to Divine Revolution and Reality Change magazines. Brent also maintains an ongoing blog about metaphysical cinema at www.getthepicturebrentmarchant.blogspot.com. He holds a B.A. in magazine journalism from Syracuse University and resides in Chicago. You can email him at brentmarchant@momentpoint.com.

A lifelong movie fan and longtime metaphysics student, Brent Marchant is the author of “Get the Picture?!: Conscious Creation Goes to the Movies” and “Consciously Created Cinema: The Movie Lover’s Guide to the Law of Attraction,” both of which look at how conscious creation (a.k.a. the law of attraction) is illustrated through film. Brent also maintains a blog on the subject through his web site (www.BrentMarchant.com) and is a contributor to Smart Women’s Empowerment, New Consciousness Review. The Good Radio Network and Library Journal. Follow Brent’s writings on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, GoodReads and BookDaily.

Becoming More Human Than Human was last modified: September 16th, 2009 by Brent Marchant

1 comment

Peter Jackson’s recently released District 9 can be a difficult, at times disturbing, movie to watch. Although Jackson does not resist the now common abuse of technical innovation enabling extreme graphic violence, the movie is not without merit. In fact, this latest creation by the acclaimed director makes an important point. The film’s value is significantly increased when one reflects upon the underlying drama and theme of the film.

In a word, District 9 is a powerful presentation on the subject of self-preservation and the ramifications of this seemingly inherent drive among sentient beings. Peter Jackson effectively illustrates the unsympathetic, heartless consequences that result from a reality based in unconscious, ego driven instinct. And through powerful symbolism, Jackson offers the cure to the end of conflict: That only by becoming the other and developing our capacity for empathy can we hope to live up to our divine potential as compassionate, selfless beings, thereby creating a better world for all.

The story begins with the arrival of an alien spacecraft that hovers above Johannesburg, South Africa for some time. Eventually, the alien inhabitants are discovered within, in a state of malnourishment and decrepitude. They are given asylum in Johannesburg in what essentially becomes a ghetto, nominally known as District 9, and begin to take their place at the bottom of the food chain within the greater society.

Naturally, tension and resentment arise between the alien visitors and the humans within the vicinity, leading to escalating hostility that eventually necessitates the relocation of the offworlders to yet another concentration camp further from “civilized” society.

In the course of events the human administrator responsible for managing the transplantation of the residents of District 9 contracts a bizarre condition resulting in a startling physical transformation, irrevocably altering the course of his otherwise normal life.

Without revealing too much about the film, the point that District 9 ultimately makes is that only by becoming the other is our empathy engaged. In other words, until we learn to empathize with the other and feel from their perspective, we will continue to be driven by selfish fear at the expense of cooperative benefit, accompanied often times with primitive, violent and sadistic behavior.

From a humanitarian and spiritual perspective, the understanding of this concept is a significant step forward in our evolution as a species and the realization of our divine destiny in a world based in peace, love, compassion, prosperity and justice for all.

For as long as there exists an other, we will have enemies and we will have conflict. Only when our paradigm shifts from us and them to simply us, when we truly realize that we are all in this together, will we manifest the beautiful, divine potential we are gifted with and create a world worthy of us.

We suffer from the loss of our humanity when only self-preservation rules. It is the lack of empathy, true and real feeling for another, that leads human beings to the incomprehensibly cruel and callous treatment of other living things, with total disregard for their sentience, causing unimaginable suffering.

How have we fallen to such abysmal depths in consciousness, particularly in the western world where the very spiritual tradition that is embraced by the vast majority of people, the Christian tradition, is fundamentally based in love, compassion and self-sacrifice, in stark contrast to the ego-based drive for self-preservation?

The great prophet Jesus is said to have died out of love for his enemies, and yet our society, nominally based in “Christian” values, goes out of its way to create enemies to crucify. How have we arrived at this?

It is the fundamental error in perception of disconnection, disunity and separation that causes us to judge, condemn, label and ultimately attack another. Returning to the example of Jesus, where his peers were quick to judge and condemn another, he rather reacted with empathy and compassion, mercy and forgiveness. We have much to learn should we come close to truly exemplifying the principles and paths of the great spiritual traditions we lay claim to.

Compassion is only possible through empathy. Empathy is the key to selflessness and evolution of the spirit. Empathy is the key to healing the rift and separation between a man and his brother, and thus between humanity and God. For as a great spiritual teacher once said, “If you fail to see the Divine in your brother, you need not look further.” It is empathy that enables us to forgive.

Furthermore, it is precisely the ultimate sacrifice, self-sacrifice, the conscious embrace of death, that ends the illusion of the ego and is the doorway to freedom, love and truth. In light of this, the words of the Prophet Muhammad ring with clarity, purpose and divine guidance where he advised to the believers, “Die before you die.”

The practice of empathy is a powerful gift. To be able to feel the pain that another experiences is a divine favor. For it is through empathy that we acquire the capacity to love even our enemies, and so become true, human beings.

The world requires healing. And the most effective act to effect global healing is to effect healing in our own lives, our own seemingly small personal lives. Yet the repercussions of such small actions are great and span outwards, as in the butterfly effect, creating a cascading wave of change, the effects of which are far greater than we may realize.

In this time of accelerating change, when one candle is lit, hundreds, perhaps thousands of others will be en-lightened.

Through empathy and genuine love for another, human interactions become transformed from what I can get to what I can give, from how I can benefit to how I can serve. And as we actively practice the golden rule, we will cooperatively create a golden world.

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However sometime's growth involves digging up the dirt and planting anew...
And after over 20 years of marketing, promoting and producing others Shayne Traviss decided to open a new chapter in his life.
If you long to go higher, live a life 'all in' join him as he dives in deep sharing his life experiences, travels and inspirations for living a VividLife.